Luna Rising
by sammileexx
Summary: What if New Moon was rewritten? What would be different? Bella learns Jake's secret, becoming closer than ever but what happens when an old friend comes back into town? *No lemons. Rated T. Updated every weekend.*
1. Wolves and Imprints

_There was a darkness in Jacob now. Like my sun had imploded._

 _"Jacob?" I whispered._

 _He turned to stare at me, and within that moment, we both dropped to our knees._

 _The world didn't exist anymore. The look in his eyes was mixed. He looked so scared, so happy. He gave me a look of admiration. But ultimately, he told me he loved me through those big brown eyes._

"We have a problem here!" Jacob called towards Sam though his eyes never left mine. Sam and Paul was over within a second and saw the sight in front of him. "Fuck. Really, Jake? On the vamp girl?" I took my eyes away from Jake to look up at Paul. I was so confused. What was he talking about? Jake stood up and grabbed my hand, helping me to my feet. I felt my jaw unhinged a bit and I couldn't stop staring at my feet for some reason. Why do I feel like something really bad has just happened?

"Jacob." Sam's voice made Jake stand up straight, his eyes finally retreating mine. "Take Bella inside and get her out of the wet clothes. Don't tell her anything until Billy gets here. I want this explained correctly to her." I looked away frantically as Jake grabbed my hand into his. "Explain what? What just happened?" Jake cooed me and started walking off, dragging me behind him. I watched Sam's expression as we went and I could tell he wasn't happy. "Did I do something wrong?" I looked up at Jake and waited for an answer but he didn't say anything.

The house brought back memories. So many memories. For once, I felt like I was at home. I missed this small shack so much and I missed Jake. I'm so scared of how this is going to end. I don't want to have to not talk to him again... but I prepared for the worst. If this past few months have taught me anything, the major lesson is to be prepared for the worst.

Jake led me into his sisters' old room and left me in the center of the pink palace. I felt cold when he let go of my hand and I wanted to cry. I just wanted it back. I wanted our friendship back. I wanted Jake back...

"Here's some of my sister's old clothes. I'm sure she wouldn't mind if you borrow them. Meet me in the living room whenever you're done." He dropped the pile of pastel fabric on the bunk bed and headed for the door. He barely looked at me and suddenly I was reminded of the night in the woods with _him_. I dropped to the bed in tears. "Bella!" He shouted in what seemed like desperation. I can hardly see him through my teary eyes but I could tell that he was in pain. It took me so much not to run up and hug him. "I'm never leaving you again." He spoke quietly before he shut the door behind him.

I felt so cold as I was changing. Even though I was in warm clothes, I felt as cold as the muddy ground outside. I craved Jake's warmth, more now than ever and that scared me. And even though I may feel cold, I definitely don't feel alone. I can feel him out in the living room, waiting impatiently for me. I felt just as impatient as him as I swung the door open and walked speedily out. My eyes searched frantically for him and there they rest, on the russet beauty standing by the front door.

"Bells..." I could see it in his eyes, he wanted to come to me. What was keeping him away? I bit my lip in frustration and looked down at my pink covered feet. "Jake." Sam's voice came from the door and my eyes jolted back up to see him and Billy entering the house. They all looked at me and I felt the blood rush to my face. "Bella... Will you take a seat? We need to talk." Billy said in a stern voice.

My heart pounded in my chest, as any other human being's would, when a parental figure says those words. I could've have sworn my heart was going to come out of my chest but I took a deep breath and walked to the couch, taking my seat furest away from Billy. "Jake. You can comfort Bells." Sam demanded in a strong voice. Jake let out the air that he seemed to be holding in forever. "Finally." He whispered with a grin as he took a seat beside me and held my hand. His warmth comforted me.

"Bella... I know we have been avoiding you for a while now but trust me when I say that it was all in good reasoning." Billy started. "Our tribe decended from wolves, which before we thought was nothing... Then the Cullens appeared and things-people started changing." My eyes grew wide as I caught on quickly. I started to wonder if the tooth fairy was real too, or if dinosaurs still roam around the Earth somewhere. "You know about the vampires. You know about them too well and you're putting yourself in danger. That's not what this talk is about. I'm not going to lecture you about hanging out with the cold ones. I'll let Jake do that." He chuckled softly.

"My son is a wolf, among other boys in this tribe. They are not dangerous to anybody unless they get too enraged. You weren't supposed to know but after what happened between you and Jake, I now understand why." What happened between me and Jake? "Jake imprinted on you." Billy said cautiously as if he read my mind. "Imprint?" I look at Jake who was staring at me the whole time. He stayed quiet.

"Imprint is a sort of special bond the wolves have with one person and one person only." Sam spoke with a mix of sadness and love in his voice. "It's designed to choose the perfect mate for the wolf. As the wolf, we become that person's protector no matter what. We become their best friend. A brother, a teacher, a friend... but eventually when the time is right, and if the imprintee feels its best, that friendship turns into something much, much more." So... I'm forced to be with Jake now? "Keep in mind, you can decline the imprint if you choose to do so."

We sat there in silence as I soaked everything in. I ignored the burning gaze from Jake and the worrying looks of Sam and Billy. What was I even supposed to say? I don't want to decline it. That's like declining Jake to be my best friend and I couldn't do that. Plus, Sam said I don't have to have a romantic relationship with Jake unless I felt it was right and surely, I don't. "Bella? Any questions?" Billy asked curiously.

A shy smile came onto my face as I only had one thought in mind. "Are you sure you're not vampires? Because I swear you guys are reading my mind."


	2. We're A Team

_My eyes flew wide open with fright, though I was so exhausted and muddled that I was not yet positive whether I was awake or asleep._

 _Something scratched against my window again with the same thin, high-pitched sound._

 _Confused and clumsy with sleep, I stumbled out of my bed and to the window, blinking the lingering tears from my eyes on the way._

 _A huge, dark shape wobbled erratically on the other side of the glass, lurching toward me like it was going to smash right through. I staggered back, terrified, my throat closing around a scream._

 _Victoria._

 _She'd come for me._

 _I was dead._

 _Not Charlie, too!_

 _I choked back the building scream. I would have to keep quiet through this. Somehow. I had to keep Charlie from coming to investigate…And then a familiar, husky voice called from the dark shape._

 _"Bella!" it hissed. "Ouch! Damn it, open the window! OUCH!"I needed two seconds to shake off the horror before I could move, but then I hurried to the window and shoved the glass out of the way. The clouds were dimly lit from behind, enough for me to make sense of the shapes._

"Jake?! What are you doing?" I yelled as quietly as I could. "Stand back, I'm coming in." I did what he said and watched as gracefully climbed up the tree and into my window. "Jake, what are you doing?" I repeated myself. He grabbed me into a hug and didn't talk for a while. I hugged him back, joining him in the silence. Everything felt like a dream. The imprint, the talk, the drive home. I was scared that when I woke up, it would all be gone and Jake still wouldn't be talking to me. I wanted to cry at the thought. He could tell how sad I was and he pulled away to stare at me.

"Bells, I'm so sorry. I didn't want to get you caught up into this mess. That's why I stayed away from you. I didn't want to hurt you like this. I knew there was chance of imprinting and I feared that you would be the one." I didn't need to wonder why he feared me being his imprint. The truth was already there. I'm in love with somebody else and that wouldn't change because of an imprint.

"Jacob Black. I'm not hurt _now_. I was intensely hurt when you left me. It felt like I was abandoned again. I thought that maybe everybody just hates me and you were joining the bandwagon." I looked down to escape the pain I felt.

"Bella." He grabbed my chin in his giant hand and forced me to look at him. "I don't hate you. Nobody hates you. I'm sure the Cullen's had a good reason for what they did. I'm not defending the leeches, but I know they didn't hate you. Especially that little future teller you always talked about. They loved you. I love you." He let go on my chin and walked towards the bed, dropping down onto it. What a dilemma. I never thought that I would be here in this position. With the love of my life abandoning me and my best friend imprinting on me. How many teenagers can say that?

I walked over to Jake. I craved his touch, which felt so natural that it scared me. I stood in between his legs and grabbed his face. He looked at me with warm, sad brown eyes. "Jake, please don't ever leave me again. You're my best friend and I need you. After everything that had happened with... him, well I can't stand another heart break. Promise me you won't leave my life?" I heard how pathetic it sounded and I hated myself for being so weak.

He rose from the bed and grabbed my face in both of his hands. "Bella Swan, I promise I will never leave your life. We're a team now. As long as you want me, I'm gonna be here." I smiled, it felt so strange on my face but of course, Jake brought out the smiles. He has a gift for that. I nodded in agreement. "We're a team." I repeated the words. He hugged me so tightly that I couldn't breathe. "Jake! ...Can't breathe!" I mumbled. He set me down and kissed my hair. "Get some sleep, Bells. I'll be here first thing in the morning." Before I knew it, he was jumping out of the window.

I lay back on my bed, my head spinning. I was too confused, too worn out. I closed my eyes, trying to make sense of it, only to be swallowed up by unconsciousness so swiftly that it was disorienting.

After a long night without my warmth, I decided that I needed him first thing in the morning. I walked down to the living room, expecting to see him since he told me he would be here but it was empty. So I grabbed my jacket and headed out towards La Push. I forced my truck to go as fast as it could, but sadly, I was barely speeding. It seemed like it took forever but eventually, I saw the small shack. I slammed my truck into park and jumped out. I couldn't help but to smile brightly at the thought of seeing him again. Only one thing stood in my way... "Good morning, Bella." Billy answered the door with a breakfast bagel in his hand.

"Morning, Billy. Is Jake in?" I felt too scared to ask. Billy seemed distant, like how he seemed the time Jake was ignoring me. "I'm sorry, Bella. He's resting." My heart dropped into my stomach and rage grew heavy in my head. Another excuse? Is he ignoring me again? I couldn't even stand the thought! "I'm sorry, Billy. But I'm not falling for this again." I mumbled as I pushed my way by him and into the familiar living room. "Bella!" Billy shouted after me but it was too late, it only took a couple steps to Jake's room and my hand was already on the doorknob. I threw it open, expecting his words from last night to deceive him...

I saw him. My Jacob. The Jacob that I knew and loved before the transformation and before the imprint. He looked like a child, so peaceful. I bit my lip as I contemplated crawling in bed with him but the bed seemed too small. Instead I walked over to him and traced my fingers against the burning hot skin of his jawline. I bent down to his ear. "We're a team." I whispered. I decided to keep Billy company while Jake slept, leaving his small room and shutting his door quietly.

"I told you he was resting." Billy shook his head with a small chuckle. "Come Bella. Sit down and have some breakfast with me" He motioned to the empty chair at the table. I accepted, too scared to look at Billy. To be honest, I'm pretty sure the old man didn't like me. Hanging out with vampires, dating a vampire and putting Charlie in danger. Now this, turning most of the neighborhood boys into wolves because the Cullen's only stayed for me... I took a seat even though my gut was tossing around.

"Bella, there's no need to be scared. You're my best friend's daughter, I've known you since you were in your mother's belly. I'm not going to hurt you or hate you or whatever it is you've been worrying about." He said with a chuckle as he handed me the plate full of crisp bacon. "Sorry, Billy. Just since Jake's absence, I figured you hated me." I focused on eating. "How can I hate an 18 year old that I've seen grow up? That would be almost like hating one of my own daughters." He poured me a bit of coffee and returned to his meal. "You are a wonderful person, Bella. You just got caught up in some bad things-bad people." I tried to drown him out but his voice was so attention-grabbing.

"Aren't you scared that with this whole imprint thing, I might become your daughter-in-law?" I spoke my mind for what seemed like the first time in forever. Billy laughed a little too loud. "Oh Bella, I'm prepared for that. The real question is, are you?" I ignored his question and gulped down coffee. "You know, I was 18 when I married Jake's mom. We had a wonderful marriage. She always said it's because we basically grew up together." He chuckled. 18 year olds only get married if they're pregnant… at least, that's what I always believed. Do I even like marriage? "There's a chance that it might happen, Bella. I know that you're not over the Cullen boy. We all know that. But eventually, you will be and when you are, Jake will be in your life. We're not pushing you to accept this imprint or anything that comes with it. I just want you to know that most of the females that have accepted this imprint, always end up with a new mate, a new best friend, a new protector… forever." His words echoed in my voice and haunted my mind. Somebody else also once promised me a forever…

"Dad, what are you telling Bells?" Jake spoke quietly as he came out of his room, stretching his long arms. Oh wow, the way he looks when he just wakes up... His hair spiked from the bed. His eyes clouded with sleep and peace. "He was just telling me some things that I need to consider." I spoke before Billy had a chance to. I was too eager to leave this house and leave this horrible conversation.

Jake came over to me and wrapped his arms around my shoulders. "You want to go for a walk?" He whispered into my ear, his breath giving me goose bumps. I nodded my head. "Thank you so much for breakfast, Billy. And for the talk..." I let my words trail off, not wanting to say any more about it. He nodded with a smile and wheeled over to the kitchen sink with his plate in his hand.

"So are you going to tell me what your conversation was?" Jake asked as we left the house. I snickered a bit. "No, I'm sorry." He wrapped his hand around mine and suddenly I was home. I have missed this. It killed me that spent time away from each other and we spent time not doing this. "What are you thinking about?" He asked quietly. I looked down at the sand under our feet and thought about Jake. "You. I missed you." I mumbled at the sand.

"Well like I said, you never have to worry about me leaving ever again. Besides, I have leeches to kill." My heart started pounding. He wouldn't kill the Cullen's, would he? What the hell am I thinking, of course he would. He hates them! I stopped dead in my tracks, pulled my hand from his and stared into his eyes. "Jake no! You can't kill them! You have a treaty." Anger filled his eyes. "Bells, I don't have a treaty with this woman leech." Woman leech? Alice? Esme? Rose? "What woman leech, Jake? What did she look like?" Jake doesn't really know what all of the Cullen's look like so it wouldn't surprise me if he has run into one of the women of the Cullen clan and confused them with somebody else.

"Red hair, really fast." His words made me dizzy and all the air escaped from my lungs. "Victoria." I mumbled. Jake looked at me concerned. "Who? Do you know her?" I couldn't breathe, I couldn't talk. I just nodded. "Well, she's here. We don't have any sort of agreement with her so we're trying to find out why she's here." People rushed into my brain. Charlie, Jake, Billy, the Pack. I'm putting everybody in danger. I need to give myself up.

"I do... Me. She's here for me!"


	3. While The Wolves Play

_Jacob sucked in a sharp breath. "They're here. Let's go."_

 _"Are you sure?" I asked while he popped his door open. "Maybe I shouldn't be here."_

 _"They'll deal with it," he said, and then he grinned. "Who's afraid of the big, bad wolf?"_

 _"Ha ha," I said. But I got out of the truck, hurrying around the front end to stand close beside Jacob. I remembered only too clearly the giant monsters in the meadow. My hands were trembling like Jacob's had been before, but with fear rather than rage._

 _Jake took my hand and squeezed it. "Here we go."_

"Jake, what the fuck, man?!" A tall, tan boy a bit smaller than Jake came running from the forest. "Woah, easy Paul." Embry trailed after him, his hands on the other guy's shoulders. "Get off!" It was more of a growl than anything. "Paul!" Sam's booming voice came from the tree line. "Stop this nonsense." Sam commanded to a shaking Paul. "Why calm down? Mr. Friendzone here, imprinted on his childhood crush, took our secret and blabbed it to the vamp girl! Who knows who the fuck she's going to tell? She's probably going to run back to her little shiny boyfriend with the shiny family and shiny car and run her mouth about us the second Jake leaves her side!" Ouch...

Jake pulled me behind him and stood as a human shield. "I can see somebody is still pissed at me for imprinting… You do realize that it's going to happen to you too, right? Also, The Cullens are gone, Paul! Even if she wanted to tell them, she couldn't. She's my imprint and she's going to be around here as long as she wants me in her life. So you better get use to it!" Jake belted it out the speech in a protective way more than an angry way. Paul's eyes widen. His whole frame was vibrating now. "You're kidding, Black!" I was confused as to why Paul was so angry. "Wait... didn't Paul help us whenever the imprint happened?" I whispered to Jake. "Yeah, because of Sam's fucking command, you leech-lover!" Jake's body started to shake with anger. "Don't talk to her like that." He took a deep breath, obviously trying not to phase in front of me.

"Paul!" Sam called again. Paul seemed to try and focus on Sam's voice. "We all know that Jake will kick your ass, so just let it go." Embry said with a shit-eating grin on his face. That was it, that was all it took. Before I knew it, Paul's human form changed into a huge wolf. His head was as big as my torso! He targeted Embry instead of Jake and charged like a raging bull. Embry changed too and within no time, he and Paul were at each other's throats. Jake chuckled a bit and Sam was fighting a smile. Me, on the other hand, I was worried as fuck about Embry. Screw Paul.

"Jake, go ahead and take Bella inside. Em was talking about making muffins when I left home earlier." Sam said calmly while watching the boys' wolves fight. Jacob smiled brightly as he grabbed my hand in his. "Sweet! Em makes the best muffins." He mumbled to me as we walked off slowly towards the only house in the distance. "Oh and don't look at Emily too long. Sam gets... pretty upset." I rattled my brain for reasons why I would look at Sam's girlfriend too much but came up with nothing. I didn't bother asking, I just walked with Jake quietly.

"So is Paul always like that?" I broke the silence as we got to the front door. Jacob laughed a quiet laugh. "Yeah. He, uh, he has some anger issues that he's trying to work through." Jake said, as the front door opened. "You mean Paul?" A beautiful brown-skinned woman with a scarred face stood at the door. I smiled politely and nodded yes. "He doesn't have anger issues. He's just overly cocky with the whole wolf thing. He's even taken this new confidence to have sex with almost every girl in Washington." She and Jake shared a chuckle as they thought about it.

"So... you must be the vampire girl." Emily flashed a bright smile that fit her face perfectly. I nodded again. "You must be the wolf girl..." I mumbled back. She giggled and grabbed my hands into hers. "Oh, you're funny. I'm going to like you." Her words reminded me of Alice and suddenly my whole torso was on fire. I ignored the pain and followed Emily into the house.

The house reminded me of Jake's. Everything was so small, yet there was a modern twist. "I really like this place." I mumbled more to myself. Emily chuckled softly. "Thank you. I decorated it all by myself. Sam wanted to do the decorations in bears but come on..." I looked at the only grizzly piece of furniture in the house... a small wolf frame on the coffee table with Sam and Emily residing in it.

"Please sit, Bella. I just made muffins." Sam was right. The small space was soaked in the wonderful stench of sweet bread and berries. "Smells wonderful, Em." Jake sat in one of the too small kitchen chairs and pulled me down to sit on his lap. It was so nice being able to touch him again, to feel his warmth. I nuzzled my face into his shoulder as I thought of how much I missed him. It's okay, though. _He's not going anywhere this time._ I thought. Then I thought about the imprint… about Emily and Sam and the small home that is theirs. What if Jake and I could have the same exact thing? Would I allow myself to be happy with Jake? I knew that I couldn't do anything until I was over _him_ so I'm not even going to think about it until-if that time comes. I nuzzled my face in his shoulder again and let out a peaceful sigh. Jake sure is comfy, though.

"Awe, aren't you two just precious?" A deep voice came from the front door. I looked over Jake's shoulder with my cheeks stained red and saw Sam walking in. "Is the puppy fight over with?" Jake asked, not even looking at Sam but at me. He looked so lost in me. I wonder how imprinting on somebody feels. "It's over, alright." Sam sounded amused. I watched as he greeted Emily, kissing her scars softly before giving her a deep, passionate kiss. I decided to look back at Jake and let them share their moment. Jake didn't even bother to look. Instead he glanced at me quickly and I heard his heart start to race. I knew what he was thinking... and I wasn't sure how I felt about that.

"Great! Now we have two couples in the house." Paul's booming voice came from the house entrance. He walked in quickly, grabbed a muffin from the counter and plopped down onto the couch. The word couple didn't escape my brain and the fact that Jake was looking at me so intensely only made it worse. I stood up and walked over to the muffins. The distance from Jake seemed to physically kill me but honestly, I didn't want him getting anymore hopes about us and I can't get more confused or invested in the whole imprint thing. When - " _IF"_ my mind corrected. If _he_ comes back, this whole imprint will be put to rest.

"No Paul. Bella doesn't want Jake. So there's only one couple still." Embry teased as he walked in the house. Jake was facing the living room and I couldn't really see his facial expression but Paul who was facing him, seemed too amused. "Hey, Em." Embry greeted the hostess as he grabbed a muffin. "Hey, Bells." He winked at me before sitting down at the table. Blood rushed to my cheeks again.

"So... who won?" I broke the awkward silence that Jake and Embry were creating. Sam chuckled loudly, his voice seemed to vibrate the house. "Well there was no winner, but if I had to choose, I would definitely say it was Embry." Paul snorted at Sam's words. "Whatever. I just went easy on the little brat." Embry chuckled at Paul's remark.

"You really need to control your anger, Paul. You can't focus on fighting while focusing on so much hatred." Sam said calmly as Emily stroked his hair back.

"Whatever. Embry, outside. Let's go again." Paul rose from the couch with confidence and walked straight out the front door. Embry laughed loudly and trailed behind him. Jake stood from the chair and let out a chuckle, his mood seeming a bit better. "I have to see this." He kissed my forehead before leaving the house. A vision of the forest and cold, marble lips flashed through my mind and made my heart ache. It didn't help that I was now alone in a room with a couple who couldn't seem to keep their hands off of each other. The ache intensified. I grabbed a muffin and sat at the table where Jake had been sitting. I mean, what else was there to do? I didn't want to go outside and watch werewolves... I've had enough with monsters for a while.

Emily felt my awkwardness and pulled away from Sam's embrace. _Oh please, don't stop on a count of me._ I felt like saying in a bratty tone. I really didn't mind them embracing each other. I just wish it didn't kill me so much. It makes me think of how a few months ago, I was doing the same exact thing. Maybe not as much, since _he_ never liked PDA... Why is it so easy for them? I was so curious about so many things.

"Sam, what does imprinting feel like?" The words rolled out of my mouth before I could stop them. Emily giggled a little and whispered something in Sam's ear before retreating outside. Sam stayed quiet as he watched his beloved leave and then took a seat in front of me. "Well it's hard to explain..." I chewed on my muffin a bit, waiting for him to gather the right words. "It's like when you meet your imprint, you only live for them. You're only on this Earth for them. It feels like if they weren't around, you would fall off of the planet. They're your gravity." I imagined how Jake felt and hated it... "It's like falling in love... I know you know how that feels." Ouch. "But it's a much stronger, more aching feeling. If you can't have them, then you feel hopeless and lost." He looked down for a second before meeting me gaze again. "But then again... you probably know how that feels too." He was right. But I didn't think about it. Instead I thought about the wolf boy that was imprinted on me.

I feel so bad for Jake... I'm his Edward. Causing him nothing but hopelessness knowing that he's in this alone. He's in a one sided relationship, there's no feelings on the other side.

"How did it happen for you and Emily?" I immediately regretted asking as Sam's facial expressions turned dark. He cleared his throat. "Do you know the Clearwaters?" I nodded my head. "I dated Sue and Harry's daughter, Leah." My eyes widen. I have heard nothing but horror stories about her from dad. "You see, after my transformation, I was an active member of the Clearwater house. I was there all the time. I was actually about to propose to Leah... but one day, other members of her family came to visit. I honestly didn't know much about imprinting at the time."

"She was there. She's Leah's cousin." I bit my lip definitely regretting asking. "When it happened, Harry knew. He wasn't very pleased with me but he knew that there was nothing anybody could do to change it. Both Emily and Leah was confused. So was I, really." He took a deep breath. "Harry sat us down and explained. Leah hated me instantly and she wanted to beat the crap out of Emily but Sue made her stay in her room until Emily and I left." He closed his eyes.

"How did Emily take it?" I pushed further. I know that I would regret this question too. "Honestly, she fell in love with me immediately." He opened his eyes and smiled a small grin. "She said it was love at first sight for her. Like she imprinted as well. She told me that she wanted to stay away from me but knew that there was no use. By the end of the day, Emily and I were holding hands at the beach and Leah was in her room destroying any evidence that she loved me." I took a long breath and held it for a while. "Imprinting sucks." It's all I could say. Sam nodded in agreement.

Even though imprinting can just mean friendship, or having a protector, the ultimate reasoning for it is to have a mate for life. I can only imagine how horrible that must be for him. His imprint is in love with his mortal enemy. I wish I could just stop it all. I knew I was hurting Jake... he had to be hurting.

I don't want to put Jake through any more pain...


	4. Diving In

_I screamed as I dropped through the open air like a meteor, but it was a scream of exhilaration and not fear. The wind resisted, trying vainly to fight the unconquerable gravity, pushing against me and twirling me in spirals like a rocket crashing to the earth. My mind erased and eased for a moment. I thought of nothing but the rush._

 _Yes! The word echoed through my head as I sliced through the surface of the water. It was icy, colder than I'd feared, and yet the chill only added to the high._

 _I was proud of myself as I plunged deeper into the freezing black water. I hadn't had one moment of terror—just pure adrenaline. Really, the fall wasn't scary at all. Where was the challenge?_

 _That was when the current caught me._

At first the waves were just pushing me back and forth but it wasn't too long until a large wave crashed into my body, forcing the air out of my lungs and knocking me under the water. My lungs burned from the hit but I pushed through the pain and resurfaced. What was I thinking? This wasn't worth it! Edward didn't even appear this time!

I managed to swim with the current, being pushed roughly against the rocks. I kept swimming, taking in as much air as I could when my head was out of water. For once I wanted to be strong. I wanted to prove to myself that he wasn't worth my own life. I wanted to prove that I can take control of my own life. He isn't going to ruin it anymore.

I smiled as my feet started to touch the bottom of the giant body of water I was in. After a while of being pushed by the waves, I had gotten my balance and started walking onto the shore and that's when I saw him. He looked so horrible. Watching him made me lose my focus and the waves overcame me. I hit the bottom of the ocean floor hard, causing my sight to blind. All I saw was a distant red color in the far away ocean.

My lungs were filling slowly with the painful salt water. One second I was head under and then another second later I was suddenly in Jacob's arms, my head out of the water, my lungs pushing the poison from itself, my vision coming back slowly.

"You did it, Bells." He tried to push a smile onto his face but it was gone within seconds. I coughed a few more times and tried my hardest to grasp onto Jake's shoulders with my slippery hands. "Jake..." I wheezed a breath. "What is it, Jake?" He didn't say anything, he just broke down. The first time I saw Jake cry... and I didn't want to witness it ever again.

 _It was a quiet ride after that. The cold air had woken me up. My mind was alert, and it was working very hard and very fast._

Henry Clearwater had a heart attack and here I was doing suicide missions. Suicide missions that I used to get visions of my ex-boyfriend- that didn't even work this time. Jake didn't tell Charlie about the diving, thankfully. I can imagine Charlie sitting at the hospital right now with Sue and her kids, all of them broken down. He didn't need to know that his daughter was off diving into harsh waters.

Jake pulled my truck into his driveway and turned the engine off, leaving the vision straight ahead dark. He stared at his hands and sighed. I placed my hand on his forearm and laid my head on his shoulder, in hopes of calming him. I felt his lips on my hair. "I need to go inside and pack some clothes. Charlie asked me to stay with you for the night." My muscles tensed at the thought. "I'm staying in the living room, of course. Or he said he would shoot me." I felt a small smile approach his face as if he was planning on buying a bullet-proof vest. Suddenly, the mood changed. He removed his head from mine and stared at his hands again. I lifted my head up whenever his heart started racing faster than usual. "Jake?" He was quiet. His knuckles turned white as he practically dug his hands into the steering wheel. I placed my small, pale hand on his giant, russet-toned hand. Our gaze met.

"Bells…" He trailed off as if he wanted to say more but couldn't gather the right words. His eyes switched view from my lips to my eyes repeatedly. My stomach suddenly grew butterflies that sprung free at Jake's gaze. I knew what was happening… I knew what was expected. I never thought fully on this. I imagined kissing Jake before but I would immediately brush it away before it had gotten out of hand. Maybe one kiss would keep him here with me forever. Why couldn't I be as selfish as Edward? I could be... but I didn't want to. I tried to look away but I couldn't help but to wonder what would be the right thing for us. Maybe this kiss is the path we are both supposed to be on. I was too confused to deny it and obviously, Jake didn't care.

We were leaning into each other until our lips finally touched. The kiss was electric. It sent chills down my spine and sparks into my heart. I felt it beat for the first time in what seemed like forever. As our tongues danced, my head swirled in blissful blurs. Our lips matched perfectly, never missing a beat. His kiss started up my heart after Edward had destroyed it.

Jake pulled back and pecked my forehead. His smile was bright and he had a bit of smugness in his expression. "I've been dreaming of this day since we were kids making mud pies." We both chuckled. He kissed my lips quickly. "I'll be right back, I need to go get some clothes." He kissed me again and retreated out of the truck.

It took me time to figure out what had just happened. I felt… guilty? I also felt like I was at home. I noticed the tears but ignored them, trying to figure out why exactly I was crying. Was it because I was now able to say Edward's name without too much pain? Maybe it's because I felt like I was cheating on Edward… But no, deep down, I knew why I felt so bad. I knew that Jake is where I belong, I knew that Forks is where I belong, I just wasted everybody's time by being with Edward and I knew it all along! _He_ knew it along... that's why he left! Jake is my home. He's my Sun.

And I felt like Edward knew that.


	5. An Old Friend

_"OH!" The breath whooshed out of Jacob like someone had punched him in the gut. "Holy crap!"He slammed the door and twisted the keys in the ignition at the same moment. His hands were shaking so hard I didn't know how he managed it._

 _"What's wrong?"He revved the engine too fast; it sputtered and faltered._

 _"Vampire," he spit out._

 _The blood rushed from my head and left me dizzy. "How do you know?" "Because I can smell it. Dammit!" Jacob's eyes were wild, raking the dark street. He barely seemed aware of the tremors that were rolling through his body. "Phase or get her out of here?" he hissed at himself._

 _He looked down at me for a split second, taking in my horror-struck eyes and white face, and then he was scanning the street again. "Right. Get you out. "The engine caught with a roar. The tires squealed as he spun the truck around, turning toward our only escape. The headlights washed across the pavement, lit the front line of the black forest, and finally glinted off a car parked across the street from my house._

"Jake, stop! Stop!" I yelled as I grabbed the door handle and pushed it open. I almost fell out onto the moving road when Jake eased on the brakes and grabbed my hand. "Are you crazy?!" His eyes were sad and his expression was full of anger. "Jake, it's Carlisle! They're back! He's back!" The words rushed out of me like a wild tornado. The hurt look on Jake's face made me suddenly regret ever speaking. "Jake, Carlisle is back." I tried again, using a name that wasn't _his._

Jake dropped my hand and grabbed the steering wheel. "Get out. I'll park the truck and be inside to make sure you're safe." He didn't even bother to look at me and I didn't wait for any other response. We both knew what this may mean... I pushed the metal door out of my way and ran to the front door as fast as my ocean-washed legs would allow me. I had my key ready and when the lock clicked open, I rushed inside.

It was dark and cold. I followed along the wall, looking for a light switch. My breathing caught when I wondered in my head why exactly Carlisle was even here. Was everybody okay? Does he know about Victoria? _Just don't get your hopes up._ I begged myself. But it was too late. My heart was pounding with a small spark that knew it couldn't be ignored. My head was wondering all over, trying to think of different scenarios, who was here, and what I was going to say.

The light flickered on and my eyes adjusted slowly to a feminine face with hair spiked out all over the place. It took me only a second to realize it was Alice. My arms grabbed hold of her and she froze in place. "Bella… you smell." Oh no, has she not eaten before she arrived here? I pulled away and saw the brown eyes that normal humans do not have. "You should go feed." She shook her head and looked to the door. "You smell like… him." I turned to see Jake at the door, his hand still on the doorknob as if he was ready to leave my life again. "You don't smell so good either, princess." He said in a sharp voice. Alice stuck her tongue out as if she was a little kid and went back to hugging me. "Oh I have missed you, Bella!" Then she pulled away too quickly and grabbed my hand. "We have so much to discuss!" She seemed excited but also nervous as she walked to the couch with me in tow. We sat down and she held both my hands in hers on her lap.

She stared at Jake until he grunted and walked to the kitchen. As if it mattered, he could still hear the conversation from a mile away. "Bella… How have you been?" I wanted to lie and say that I was doing fine but I just shrugged my shoulders and told the truth. "Honestly, horrible. If it weren't for Jake… who knew where I would be right now." Alice sighed at the thought of Jake. "Yeah, I would probably know where you were if Jake wasn't around." I heard my Sun seethe from the kitchen.

"What do you mean, Alice?" I stared into her enticing fake contacts.

"I mean that my powers are useless when that mutt is around you!" She dropped my hands and stood from the couch. She looked exhausted.

Jake came from around the corner and leaned against the door frame of the living room.

"If Jake wasn't around, I would be dead." I spoke loudly to myself. Alice turned to me. "I already thought you were dead!"

"Wait, what? Why?" My heart was beating fast, she had been trying to watch me this whole time.

"Because when you're around werewolves, which apparently you are 24/7 now, I can't see you! I can't get one glimpse of you! Until tonight… when I saw you jumping off of a cliff and I didn't see you come back from the water!" Alice sat down again and put her head in her hands.

"Well Alice, I'm alive. I'm okay." I smiled at how concerned she seemed. She still cared.

"I came here to help Charlie with the funeral and help him around the house. I didn't think you made it." Ouch… she was only here for Charlie. My smile quickly vanished. "I was with my family when I saw this vision." The Cullen's think I'm dead?… All of them?

"Edward was visiting, apparently." Alice spoke. Jake growled at his name. My heart ached a little. "Visiting?" I asked. Jake walked back into the kitchen, clearly upset.

"Edward had moved to Rome whenever we left. He said he wanted time alone. Well he came to visit like he does every couple of weeks. He was early, I didn't know he was there outside of the living room door." She removed her hands from her face and her expression was full of distress. "Alice, what are you saying? What's wrong?" I placed a hand on her cold, hard hand.

"Edward thinks you're dead." She spoke in a dead voice. "Okay? I'm sure he'll be fine." The thought hurt but I honestly believed it. Alice looked into my eyes for the first time and she slowly shook her head. "Edward went to the Volturi." My heart dropped to my stomach as everything Edward told me about the Volturi came back to my mind. "Why did he do that?"

"Bella… he vowed that once your life has ended, he would end his own." My heartbeat was in my ears. "He's going to kill himself."

I quickly rose from the couch even though my legs were numb and trembling. "But why?" I spoke quietly to myself.

"He's been watching you, Bella. It's one of the only things that's kept him alive. When he saw you and Jacob, he stopped visiting as much until finally he just stopped altogether. It was only a matter of time before he went to the Volturi."

"We need to stop him." The words from my mouth brought Jake from the kitchen and Alice from the couch. "I don't think we have enough time." She whispered. "Bella…" Jake warned. My head snapped over to his voice. "We need to talk."

"I won't allow you to put yourself in danger to save him." He said as soon as we got to the kitchen. "Jake, I can't just let him kill himself!"

"Why the hell not?! He left you for dead!" Jake's words flew like knives.

"What the hell, Jake?! Why are you worried so much?! You're not my damn boyfriend! You just had some weird wolf attraction to me!" I regretted the words way before I even spoke them but I was stubborn and wanted him to hurt as much as I did.

Jake's head bent back as if somebody had just punched him. "Tell me that the kiss we had in the truck meant nothing!" I was shocked by his response. I couldn't speak. "Say it and I'll let you go!" I took a deep breath as if to keep myself from busting out into tears. "It meant nothing…" My tongue felt numb.

The air rushed from Jake and he gave me one last sad look before he walked off. I took a deep breath and walked into the living room to Alice. Jake didn't even bother to look at me before slamming the door shut. I bit my lip, silently praying that this wouldn't be the last time that I see Jake. I look to Alice who was patiently waiting for me to recover. "Alright. Let's go find Edward." I spoke hesitantly, knowing that I was going to regret it.


	6. Reunited

_"Volterra," Alice announced in a flat, icy voice._

"The car rushed down the road and I held onto my seat belt for dear life. If Jake was here, I wouldn't be as scared. In fact, thinking about Jake was the only thing keeping me from being terrified through this whole experience.

I thought about Jake a lot on the plane ride to Italy and I had realized so many things. Sure my heart hurt when Edward's name floated around but that's only because he was my first boyfriend, whom I trusted with all of my being and he destroyed me… Was he my first love? Maybe not. I was more obsessed with him then in love with him. Our relationship was unhealthy and not right. It's completely different from Jake's love.

I think maybe I have fallen in love with Jake. I can definitely feel the imprint since he's been away from my side. I ached knowing that he was forever away. It felt as if I was going to fall off of the planet without his touch. It's like I have imprinted too. Ever since that kiss...

"Bella?" Alice looked at me quickly before looking back to the road. The engine of the 911 Turbo made a grunting noise as Alice brought it up a huge hill. It was then that I decided. Being with Edward was forced, and unnatural. So I plan to save him, show him that I'm alive, and then go home to where and who I belong to.

"Your future is fading…" Alice mumbled sadly. I sighed, losing Alice would probably be the worst of it all. "You know Bella, it's extremely hard trying to figure out where Edward is emand /emhave you disappearing in my head." But I was so tired of feeling guilty…

"Where is he, Alice?" I managed to choke out. The first thing I actually said since leaving Forks.

Alice pointed towards my window, a large city bordered by an even large stone wall was just outside my window. People, women, men, and children dressed in red capes were covering the entire outside and inside of the city.

"The traffic is really going to slow us down." I muttered. "Its fine, I know a secret way in." Alice pulled to the side of the road and threw the car into park. She rushed out the door and was by my door immediately. Her skin sparkled in the bright sunlight even though she was layered in clothes and scarves.

She grabbed my hand and we rushed to the brick wall. There in the wall was a rather large breakaway crack that was slightly covered with vines. Alice held my hand as we walked to the large, jagged crack and squeezed through. The city was even bigger than I had originally thought. "He's over there in the center of the city!" Alice pointed to a tall, pale man standing under a huge clock. His back was facing us and we were so far away. There was no way he could see us. We had to get closer. I took one step when Alice grabbed my hand and pulled me back.

"You must be Bella." A sharp voice spoke from behind me. My heart raced as I turned to face a red-eyed, blonde vampire with a small grin resting on her face. "I understand you have caused a lot of trouble in the poor Cullen's world." I looked to my feet, I knew I had but I never wanted to admit it. "I think it's best if you two follow me and let the Cullen boy seal his fate." Her words punched me in the face and suddenly I ran for it. I ran as fast as I could and begged that Alice could hold off the other vampire.

I ran past people, bumping into them and bruising my body. My eyes stayed on Edward and I tried to make sure he was going to be okay. He had turned to face the large crowded that didn't seem to notice him. I was what seemed like miles away and Edward had taken a step into the sunlight, his face glowing like diamonds.

"Edward!" I yelled as I ran through the crowd, pushing myself to continue even though my body was already exhausted. "Edward!" I was so shocked that nobody had been staring at me or the glimmering man under the clock tower.

I got to the stone stairs when he had finally saw me. He still continued though. He started to unbutton his shirt as he smiled at me. I got to the last step and tripped, tumbling right into Edward's cold statue-like body. We were both on the ground, laying partially in the sunlight under the clock. I was slightly embarrassed that I was half on top of him. I had goosebumps as I remembered he had never let me be this physical with him in our entire relationship. He had physically starved me for human touch. Here I was after all this time, in the only arms I wanted to be in... And I didn't want to be in them anymore.

"That was so painless." He mumbled into my hair as he tightened his arms around me. His hands explored my body, his lips traced my jawline. Shudders went down my spine and I was so close to losing it. I wanted to yell at him for not doing this sooner! I had to remember why I was here. He wasn't going to rope me in. I needed to cut him loose and move on in my life.

"Edward! You're showing everybody that vampires exist." I tried to speak but my voice kept catching. We needed to be completely engulfed in the shadows. Being this close to Edward… it destroyed me all over again. "Oh Bella. I never knew Heaven existed until now." I felt the blood rush to my cheeks. "Edward, you're not in Heaven. You're on Earth, in Italy. I'm alive! Alice saw a wrong vision! They're going to kill you! Please don't let them! For me!" Those words were enough. In a quick movement, Edward pulled us both up and into the shadows of the clock tower. He was still wrapped around me as he lowered his black eyes to meet my gaze. His hands were on either side of my face. "You're alive." He muttered as he closed his eyes and rested his forehead on mine. "So are you…" My heart breaking into a million pieces. I worked so hard to get over him and I just end up back in his embrace. As if reading the hesitance in my mind, he pulled away quickly

"You're dating Jacob Black now." His voice was dead. My heart skipped a beat at the thought of Jake. "I'm not dating Jake…" I thought about our last encounter and how I had ruined everything for us. "I won't ever see Jake again…" The words pulled at my heart and made me want to die.

"Cullen!" A tall, muscular vampire barked at us from deep within the clock tower. "Bring your human and come with us." Edward froze in place, his hand gripping tightly onto my waist. "Cullen! Now!" A shorter vampire came from the shadows. Edward looked as if he was going to make a run for it but then decided not to. He buttoned his shirt back up and held me close as we followed the vampires down a large stone staircase.


	7. The Volturi

_The exquisite faces all turned toward our party as we entered the room. Most of the immortals were dressed in inconspicuous pants and shirts—things that wouldn't stick out at all on the streets below. But the man who spoke first wore one of the long robes. It was pitch-black, and brushed against the floor._

"Ah, Edward! Welcome back!" He greeted as he threw the hood of his robe off, exposing his long jet-black hair. Alice was sitting on a couch next to the wall, her body looked as if she was mauled by a bear. "And I see you have brought your girlfriend." His blood red eyes left Edward to stare directly into mine. "Isabella…" He took a deep breath through his nose. "Edward's thoughts were correct. You smell absolutely amazing." I tried to stay tough and not freak out. "You can read people's minds too? Like Edward?"

The man laughed and then his head snapped to Edward. "You're right, Edward. How rude of me." He held his hand out to me, his skin paper thin. Edward hissed but I ignored him and grabbed the vampire's hand. It took him a minute, his face went from amusement to frustration. He began to chuckle like a psycho maniac, dropping my hand. "My name is Aro and my powers do not work on you. Just as Jane's did not work on you earlier." I looked to the blonde vampire who looked angry and defeated. "They definitely work on the friend you left behind though." I quickly looked to Alice who tried to hide a painful expression with a sad smile.

"So tell me Isabella, why on Earth is an immortal trying to end his life because of you? To give up all the life that vampires have for a mortal? It's a bit confusing." I looked to Edward and he met my gaze. "I am just as confused as you are... Edward?" My former boyfriend bit the corner of his lower lip and lowered his gaze. "You just seemed so happy without me… I thought you'd continue being miserable. I wanted you to be happy, I really did but when it actually happened…" I was angry now and I forgot it wasn't just us two in the room. "You didn't want me but you didn't want anybody else to want me?" I asked in disbelief. Edward took my hand in his hard, cold grip. "Bella, I just wanted you happy. No matter if you were with somebody else… It was just so hard actually seeing it." He trailed off. Aro cooed. It was then that I noticed the two sad looking vampires sitting behind him, still as statues. They were dead silent.

"A love triangle, perhaps? How did I not see this in your memories Edward?" He cocked his head to the side to look at Edward with a gut-wrenching smile. "I managed to block it out of my head somehow. I am very sorry that I hid that from you, Aro." Edward Cullen's manners have never stopped impressing me.

"Show me. Now." Aro reached his fragile hand out to Edward who grabbed it immediately. Edward looked at me with an apology in his eyes. "Oh." Aro's smile finally disappeared and he turned to face me. "This will not do, Isabella. Knowing secrets about vampires is one thing but now dating our natural enemy? Hasn't anybody ever told you that hanging out with werewolves is dangerous?" He laughed. My breathing stopped for a second. He saw Jake… What does this mean?

"Jane, Alec, please show Isabella mercy when she's leaving this world." My head became dizzy and I closed my eyes thinking of Jake. I heard two sets of footsteps walking slowly to me. I imagined Jake kissing me on La Push, something that hasn't happened yet, something that I can dream about forever. I imagined Jake kissing me on the cheek and then greeting my pregnant belly with a kiss, as well. I imagined russet-skinned kids dancing around me as I make dinner in a small cabin in the woods. The future that I could have had with Jake, I just wanted to think of that.

"NO!" I opened my eyes to blurred visions of Edward throwing Jane to the wall behind the quiet statue vampires. The vampire that looked like a male version of Jane, I could only assume is Alec, ran to his sister. The two vampires who had brought us down here immediately had Edward in their grips.

"Wait!" My voice didn't sound like mine and I was barely aware that I even spoke. "Just hold him down… Let Jane kill me, and make sure Edward and Alice go back home when it's over. Just don't let them hurt either of them. Please." I spoke to Aro in the most mature voice I could muster, knowing I was going to die and all. Aro smiled at me. "So brave for a human. I see why the Cullen's loved you so much." He snapped his fingers and Jane and her twin started walking to me again. Edward screamed and yelled my name but I blocked it out.

"Stop." Alice's voice halted everything. Jane stopped in her tracks but stared at me with hatred. Alec and the rest of the vampires turned to Aro, who was smiling at Alice. "I have something to show you." She spoke as if she was disappointed. Aro's smile became wider as he gestured for Alice to come to him. She reached her hand out to Aro who picked it up gently. He looked upset for a second and then smiled. "Well we cannot have a war with the werewolves now, can we?" Jane and Alec retreated to their shadows across the room. The two vampires that held Edward let him go and instantly he was embracing me. Aro chuckled. "Do not get use to that, Edward. It seems as if you might be back in my home eventually." My heart stopped. Alice showed Aro a vision of me without Edward and he still came back to end his own life. I held onto Edward's waist and dug my face into his chest. _Don't do it, Edward. Please..._

I had enough excitement for one day. My vision blacked out and immediately my legs went numb.


	8. Welcome Home & Temporary

_A/N:_

I really appreciate everybody who has been following this story and all of the reviews that you guys have written. It has meant a lot.

Unfortunately, this is the end. I decided to put the last two chapters together.

I wrote this whole story months back, knowing exactly how it will end and not wanting to change it. It seemed more realistic to me than the actual Twilight story. I do plan on doing a sequel or follow-up to this story. I will most likely complete the full story before posting chapters (like I did with this one) so I don't miss updating for weeks at a time because I feel pressured to have a new chapter ready by the weekend. So thank you guys for the amazing support and I really hope you don't get too mad at me by the end of this. I promise better things to come!

xx,  
sam

* * *

 _I blinked twice, desperately trying to remember the last thing that I was sure was real. Alice was part of my dream, and I wondered if she had really come back at all, or if that was just the preamble. I thought she'd returned the day I'd nearly drowned…"Oh, crap" I croaked. My throat was thick with sleeping._

 _"What's wrong, Bella?" I frowned at him unhappily. His face was even more anxious than before._

 _"I'm dead, right?" I moaned. "I did drown. Crap, crap, crap! This is gonna kill Charlie." Edward frowned, too. "You're not dead." "Then why am I not waking up?" I challenged, raising my eyebrows._

 _"You are awake, Bella."_

Edward looked completely dead, waiting for me to focus on him. "You and Jake really got close to each other, didn't you?" He looked at my bed that I was apparently now laying on. It was dark and my room no longer smelt like usual. My room was covered in Edward's scent, something that I tried to recreate for days on end. "We really did." I confirmed. "You're his imprint. His one true love." I looked at him with wide eyes. "How did you know that?" Edward nodded his head towards the window. "He's been outside ever since I brought you home. He's basically been forcing his thoughts into my brain. Especially a kiss…" I had goosebumps just thinking about the kiss. How I wanted another one from him.

"You love him, don't you?" Edward's voice matched his dead expression. I didn't have to think about it long. I knew in Italy that Jake is the man I love more than anybody in the world. I nodded my head. "You have no idea." Edward got up from the bed and walked to the window. "He liked that response." I wanted to smile but I couldn't. I knew that I was killing Edward. I sat up and stared off into the darkness. "Edward, I still love you. I know you may not believe that and I know that Jake can hear it. But I'm not going to hide anything from either of you. I still love you and I am so in love with Jake." I feel like Edward was already gone but he was just sitting at the window, listening to Jake's thoughts. I continued. "I was so hurt when you left. I have never felt a pain so worse. Jake made everything better and it felt like for once, things were going to be okay. He spent time with me, he invested his feelings in me and showed me that I can have fun again. Then Alice showed up… and the ache in my chest was back. I hated your name again. I hated you. I missed you, though and I was terrified of you no longer existing in this world. So to keep you here, I'm going to do what I have to. I know it will make all three of us very unhappy but it's what needs to be done. I'm focusing on school and I'm not dating anybody. No more monsters for me." I laughed deadly at my own joke.

Edward came back to me and kissed my forehead. "One day you'll have to choose, Bella. I really hope that you choose me. Until that day, I am never leaving your side." He whispered softly in my ear, making my spine tingle. "Now get some sleep Bella Swan, Charlie's got a lot of words for you in the morning." He kissed my lips lightly and was gone. I turned on my side and stared at the window. What is Jake thinking right now? How mad is he? I drifted to sleep with thoughts of him.

I left the house as soon as I heard Charlie's cruiser leave. It was barely dawn but I knew he would be outside waiting for me. I rushed down the stairs and threw the front door open. I was greeted with a huge bear hug. "Bells…" He whispered in my hair when he placed me back on the ground. "I'm so glad you're back home and you're safe." He kissed my head twice. I wrapped my arms around him and held on as tightly as I could. "He's watching us." Jake said, pushing me away. "So naturally, I have to do this." His lips locked onto mine fiercely. I kissed him back passionately, craving his taste. He bit my bottom lip slightly and made me kiss even harder. He pulled away way too soon and smiled at me. "You have no idea how much I missed your lips." I put distance between us, remembering what I had decided earlier. "I missed yours too… But that's the last time it will ever happen." Jake frowned and it felt like a kick in the teeth. "Bells, please don't do this." I put my hand on the door. "I am so sorry, Jake. I love you." I closed the door between us.

I never wanted anybody to get hurt but when it comes to somebody dying, maybe hurting wasn't that bad. I will suffer, Jake will hurt, Edward will hurt… but we'd all be alive. We just needed to move on.

I went to the kitchen to make breakfast for Charlie to arrive home to.

JAKES POV

"What are you doing here?! What happened to her?! I swear I'll kick your ass, Cullen!" I heard Charlie. I was inching closer towards the front, not wanting to see Bella and Edward standing there all happy and bullshit. "Charlie, I need to take her inside. She fainted." My four limbs picked up speed until I was in Edward's sight. His head snapped towards me, his eyes squinted a little. Bella lay in his pale arms, passed out. I swear if he did anything to her, I'll kill him. _"Jacob. Calm down."_ Sam's voice was in my head.

"You get her upstairs to her room, you set her on the bed and you leave. If you aren't down in five seconds, I'm getting my shotgun. You are not being near my baby girl anymore." Charlie pointed his finger in Edward's face. Edward nodded and disappeared inside. Charlie took a deep breath before returning inside. If that was me with Bella, Charlie would welcome me to stay in the living room with him until she woke...

I watched as Edward walked out of the house, closing the door behind him and then rush back in, too quick for human eyes to notice.

I walked over and lay under Bella's window. I have been too far away from her for too long and the imprint thing is really fucking with my head. _"Awe, boohoo. Poor Jakey's in love with Dracula's girlfriend."_ Paul... I growled. " _Paul, leave Jacob alone."_ I mumbled a silent thank you towards Sam and returned to my torturing thoughts.

I begged the sky above - and whoever the fuck owns it, for Bella to be okay. I don't fucking care if she's with me... Well I do. But I prefer her to be healthy and happy. If she declines the imprint then maybe, just fucking maybe I can find a loophole and get out of it too. Then she can be with her bloodsucking leech.

"I'm dead, right?" Her voice flowed through the window and into my ears. I stood up and paced the yard, wanting nothing more than to climb up to her. What exactly was stopping me? Is it really because Edward's up there and I'm trying to be respectful or is it because I was actually mad at her for once...

I listened super close to the conversation that was going on between the love of my life and my mortal enemy. "You love him, don't you?" My heart pounded in my chest. All I wanted more than anything was to hear those three words come out of Bella's mouth. Those three words and I'll be satisfied leaving her life. "You have no idea." The words melted in my heart, my human form smiling a big toothy smile which is no doubt making my wolf form look angry. "Edward, I still love you." My heart dropped in my stomach. How... how could she say that? He fucking left her for vampire dinner in the woods! He could have gotten her killed... more than once! How could she fucking say that and know that I'm out here?

"I'm focusing on school and not dating anybody. No more monsters for me." Monster? I'm a fucking monster now? No way... no goddamned way! This isn't fair... I'm done. I'm done!

I ran through the woods all night, trying not to think, trying not to feel... Just focusing on running. This morning, my thoughts raged into my mind, forcing me to pay attention. Forcing me to feel the hurt that she did to me.

I thought though, for one fucking minute I thought that maybe she would change her mind. I was fine just being her friend, I really was but she gave me so much hope that there was more. How can I even love somebody that evil? She broke me just like Edward broke her... but unlike her, I'm not running back to the evil that hurt me. If she wants a true monster, she can have him. As a wolf, I need to be logical and protect myself.

But then again... as a person, I need closure. I ran towards her house, hoping that Edward wasn't there holding her hand or creepily staring at her, or whatever else the bastard does. But he wasn't around. Bella had just opened the door as I walked onto the porch. I didn't feel heartbreak when I saw her face, instead I had the urge to hug her and never let go. "Bells... I'm so glad you're home and you're safe." I kissed her head that smelled like strawberries. "He's watching us." She mumbled into my ear. I jealously left the embrace. Instead of being angry though, I tried to smooth myself over. "So naturally, I have to do this." I grabbed her shoulders and forced my lips onto hers. She kissed back just as forceful. This was going to be the last kiss... I have decided that. Once we pull away, I'm leaving her life and never coming back. I needed to think about me for once. So I traced her lip with my tongue, so I can remember the way it tastes for the rest of my life. I pulled away and blurted out the first thing in my mind. "You have no idea how much I missed your lips." She smiled sadly and took a step backwards into the house. "I missed yours too... But that's the last time it will ever happen." I frowned at the words... Maybe she could change her mind still. Maybe I can make her change her mind and all the hurt would go away. "Bells, please don't do this." I knew it was a lost cause. She had made up her decision long ago, maybe back in Italy, maybe before she even left for Italy... but it wasn't my place to think about it anymore. I put my body weight on my heel, ready to turn off the porch after she says her goodbyes.

"I am so sorry, Jake. I love you." Door slams. My heart races. I am stuck on the porch and my feet won't move. The imprint begged me to stay... but it was over. I just need to forgot those words and move on. My body was frozen though. Maybe I should go in? Maybe I should grab her and tell her how stupid she has been. Maybe I should bring up facts that Edward treats her like garbage and that he starved her physically. Maybe I should tell her that her smile returned because of me, that our kiss made her eyes light up like they use to, that Charlie actually likes me, that Edward can't give her a warm, nurturing life with kids and grandkids, that **no matter fucking what** I am stuck loving somebody who will never love me back the way I want, somebody who is under the spell of a damn vampire and his sparkly skin and his golden eyes and his fucking messy hair... Maybe I should tell her that she broke my heart and deep down, I knew that there will never be another girl like her that makes me feel the way she makes me feel... and I hated her for that.

But maybe I should just move on and let the heartbreak eat me alive until one day I can wake up and the pain won't be as bad anymore.

I am destined to be the moon to her world. Temporary until the sun comes back around.


End file.
